Oh, man: it’s that time again. Because the Fall/Winter 2026 menswear shows land at the front of January, they can be read as fashion’s first weather report of the year. Which is why, just before 2026 began, we called on a six-strong cluster of creatives from across the men’s category for their take on the current climate, as well as the changes they anticipate for the atmosphere ahead.
The breadth of this informal fashion focus group was purposeful. Its membership ran from three well-regarded young indie battlers — Rolf Ekroth, Saul Nash, Bianca Saunders — to the indie veteran and late-blooming sensation Willy Chavarria. Added to that mix was Jonny Johansson, the foundational force behind Acne Studios. The group was then completed by Alessandro Sartori, the artistic director of Zegna, which is likely the largest luxury men’s fashion brand by revenue (turnover hit €1.16 billion for the 2024 full year), or, so to speak, the menswear equivalent of Chanel.
Here’s how it went down.
Breaking the mold
Across our panel of menswear-makers, the most consistent feedback is an observed appetite for experimentation driven by individualism, and subjectively weeding through the marshes of diktats and hype.
“There is less focus on getting the exact ‘right’ look,” says Ekroth. “Clothes feel more personal and lived-in, and you’re allowed to mix things as you want.” Nash adds: “There’s a real mix of influences. People are looking back at what’s come before, but they’re not precious about it. You see combinations that maybe wouldn’t have made sense years ago, but now feel natural.” Saunders also detects a move toward archetypal pieces with distinctive detailing. “Individualism is becoming more important, but it sits in in the category of ‘what basics can make me feel like an individual?’” she says.
Johansson is observing a tendency for a more freeform approach. “I find it interesting to watch how young men relate to classic menswear today: what they choose to borrow, what parts they break out or pick up. Small things matter: the way a scarf is tied, how a tie is worn slightly wrong,” he says. Sartori, who is in regular close contact with Zegna’s demographic of affluent, mostly older, clients observes a parallel appetite. “They come to us like [they go] to a tailor, but they want the speed and the coolness of a modern brand,” Sartori says. “They don’t want to stay inside the usual frame anymore. They want to feel modern, but still themselves.”
Chavarria believes there is a broader, sociologically formed instinct behind this more open approach to personal style through menswear. He says: “The future of fashion is not a runway carved by one identity. It’s a mosaic… We are finally at a point where fashion’s future refuses to let masculinity be defined only by dominance or power.” For Nash, another designer whose clothes are shaped to evolve convention, that process rests on first ensuring the products are functionally efficient. “For me, menswear becomes really interesting when you can meet those functional needs while saying something more,” he says. “It’s about using function as a starting point, then designing in a way that tells stories or gently challenges ideas of masculinity that feel outdated, without it ever feeling forced.”
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